Rod elevator



COBB

April 28, 1953 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 0 v J y 6 7 April 28, 1953 J. c. COBB2,636,769

ROD ELEVATOR Filed NOV. 28. 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 r 'h h ll /.9 20 I /7I'll. 2/ /2 V 6 2a 'h l Q a a h| l' 17b INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VEKS Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RODELEVATOR J ohn Carlbert Cobb, Houston, Tex.

Application November 28, lMLS er-iaI-NmVSSgL lG j iGlaixns. (Cl."29491)This invention relates to improvements in rod elevators and refers moreparticularly .toan elevator useable in conjunction with theinstallationof sucker rods or the like in a well boreandpulling such rods from awell bore.

In the producing of petroleum products from well bores a Well oftenceases to vflow naturally and must be placed uponwsome suitable pump.Reciprocating pumps have been and are extensively used in suchoperations which necessitates the-lowering of a 'stringof rod jointsWithin. the flow tubing of the Well. This rod string is called thesucker rod and extends to a lower level within the well boretooperatcthe pump plungers.

This invention is. concerned with .the device known in the industry asan elevator orrod elevator useable in the .installation of such suckerrod in a producingwell. .Thedevice may also be used to pull the suckerrod from thewell, when required for any causesuch as for instance toclean out the well, repac'k the plungentor the like.

An object of thisinvention is toprovidea simple rugged elevator whichmay beernployed in operations of the characterdescribed.

Another object isto .p-roviclea rod elevator which maybe easilyisecuredto arocl andselecwherein the latching means fortsecuring a rod 1.111 theelevator may bet-selectively securedin nonoperative position andautomatically tripped and. moved to operativeposition when .a rod is.moved into grippingposition relative. to. theelevator.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear iromthedescription of theiinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the instantspecification, which are. to be read in conjunction therewith andwhereinclike reference numeralsza're usecl -to-ii-ndicate-lihe parts inthe variousviews:

Fig. 1 is an 'end BIBVQrlJlOI'lWOfHaH elevator embodying this inventionand showing schematically the fupper end {of raqstring of :flowtubingand the actuating .oableiof awwell .rig;

Fig. .2 is aside elevational ViBWvShOWil'lg the elevator of :Fig. :1.and also schematically rillusa tra'ting the flow vtubing :aindnahle;

:Fig. 3 is a sectional mew taken LfiilOllg-ihfllillfi 3+3 iniFig. 1.incthe direction rofstheaarrows and illustrates the latching. :meanswinnon-operative ..position; and

2 Fig.1 4 isa iew similarto Fig. 3 but showing the latching mean inoperative position.

. Referring tothe drawing, the numeral Bdesighates theupper endvof a trof flow ubing of 5 a ,produoingoil well. The numeral 8 indicates theuppermost rod lengthofa stringof sucker rocls being installed within thetubing. The elevator, indicated generally at l, is secured to the lengthof sucker rod and the elevator in turn 10 is held by hook it secured totjhelower end of cable 9. The cable 3 isaconventionalpart of the usualderrick or rig and will be understood by those skilled in theart.

70d elevator l i made up of a body Ill having a Wide mouthed slotlikejside opening I l extending therethrollsh ,The wide throat ortapered. extremitylil of th'eflopening facilitates access to the openingwhereby arod\may be reatlily insertedtherein. 'flihe dimensions of themain portion of the opening are such that the ,h ody of the length ofsucker rod isreadily accommoclated but the enlarged coupling at the endof the rodwil-lnotpass therethlrcush. The coup i s seats mm theupsersurface to: t e body as. shown in Figs, 1 and .2. h The body carriespivot posts L3 to whichthe eye crisis, of ham 1.1.4 are secured..Suitahlesplit rock rings l5 prevent accidental displacement of the jbail ends from the. ivot posts. The endflan es" 16.011 the body serve toprevent the device from rotating on the w ivptm s 1 3 when it is hangingnee uponhook 3 and thus maintains the body properly ori, j to receivearodinopening I These flanges :6 also hold the elevator.fiiom,.essulning a p sition a such that the sucl cer .rodmight extendthrough the elevator and pass on the Wrong side of the hook}.

The latching; means ,for securing a rod. within si pening H. is carri d.by. t,he it dy. @Th is ans includes plungers. ll jsl'lclable withinbores is which communicate t one .end' with slot U. The rearenlaredportions of .the bores communicate \exteriorly ot the body and permitinsertion or plungers .I 5.. {The flanges 'i fill and "gli of theplungersfit the enlarged portiahhf the bore land proyi'de a means forconnecting the plungers i w a i m ha is L t beherei a erme fullyexplained.

L 1t w-ill ,be. seen that the plungers are ,tree to th ev n n t u ztheil xc ea lvwshpwn in .Eis- 4. ;.A,lso.iit.wil be note 11 1 4 1 5 en s ofnl sers' 1 se t a i l-shape surface substantially Lcentrally of ,theopening. Due to this shape when the rod 6 is moved ';nto position withinopening .-I L, if plungers filare in 3 obstructing or operatingposition, the rod on contacting the V-shaped surface presented by theplunger ends will force the plungers toward retracted positionpermitting entry of the rod into opening H.

A manually operable trip mechanism is provided for retracting plungersll to inoperable position. This mechanism include two bell crank leversl9 pivoted between flanges Ilia extending laterally from the side ofbody It opposite side opening II. The pivot pins 20 for the levers aremounted in the flanges. One end of each of the crank levers carries afork with rounded ends which ends fit between flanges H0. and ilb of theplungers, A spring 2| is connected between the arms of the bell cranklevers remote from the plungers. This spring urges these arms apart andthereby urges plunger 11 toward operative or obstructing position withinopening I I.

A mechanism is preferably provided for locking the trip mechanism tomaintain the plungers in operative position. Toggle levers 22 and 23joined together by a floating pivot and having their other ends pivotedto the arms of bell crank levers I9 adjacent their connection with theplungers are preferred for this locking function. The floating pivot ofthe toggle levers is free to move to the right to the position shown inFig. 4 but its movement to the left i limited by engagement of the freeends of the cell crank levers with stops 26 extending between flangesIlla. Trigger 24 has a sliding movement within the body and has its oneend exposed within opening II and the other end adapted to be engaged bythe toggle levers as shown in Fig. 3. By reference to this figure itwill be seen that with the toggle levers in the position shown thefloating pivot is somewhat past center. This serves to lock the tripmechanism in the Fig. 3 position with plungers ll retracted. Toadditionally secure this locked position a weak spring 25 is coiledabout the floating pivot and has each end secured to one of the togglelevers. The tension of the spring is such as to urge the floating pivottoward trigger pin 24. Thus when the trip mechanism has been manuallymanipulated to retract plunger ll, the toggle levers lock the tripmechanism in this position until it is released by actuation of trigger2s. Obviously the trigger is tripped by engagement with a rod 6 whensuch a rod is passed into opening H.

It is believed that the operation of the rod elevator is apparent fromthe foregoing description. When the rod elevator is to be secured to arod 6 it is swung into position with the rod entering openin ll.Preferably plungers I? have previously been retracted to their Fig. 3position, but if this is not the case, nevertheless when the peripheryof the rod engages the ends of plungers ll the plungers are forcedsufficiently toward retracted position to permit entry of the rod withinopening II. If the plungers had been previously forced to a retractedposition by manipulation of hell crank levers l9, rod 6 upon entry intoopening II will engage the inner end of trigger 24 forcing it againstthe toggle levers. Thus the floating pivot of the toggle levers will bedisplaced sufiiciently to move the pivot past center so that spring 2|sharply moves bell cranks I9 about their pivots to advance plungers l1into operative position obstructing the opening i I. In this position asshown in Fig. 4 rod 6 is secured within opening H and cannotaccidentally be removed from the opening.

When it is desired to release the rod elevator from a rod the operatormanually forces the free arms of the bell crank levers together and intoengagement with stops 26, thus compressing spring 2!. This is effectiveto slide plungers [1 to their retracted position whereupon the rodelevator may be swung free from rod 6. The toggle levers retain theplungers in operative position until tripped by engagement with a rodwhen the elevator is again swung into operative position with a rod 6within the opening I I.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and object hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiment may be made of the invention Withoutdeparting from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what is claimed 1. A rod elevatorcomprising a body having a slot-like side opening extendingtherethrough, a latch member slidably mounted in the body and movableinto and out of obstructing position relative to the opening, a springoperatively connected between the body and member urging the membertoward obstructing position and manually operable means for selectivelyretracting the member from obstructing position, a locking meansinterposed between the manually operable means and the latch member forreleasably, locking said means in a position with the latch memberretracted to non-obstructing position, and means for releasing saidlocking means whereby said spring may urge said latch member towardobstructing position.

2. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side openingextending therethrough, a latch member slidably mounted in the body andmovable into and out of obstructing position relative to the opening, aspring operatively connected between the body and member urging themember toward obstructing position, manually operable means forselectively retracting the member from obstructing position, and lockingmeans interposed between the manually operable means and the latchmember for releasably locking said manually operable means in positionwith the latch member retracted to non-obstructing position and atrigger mounted in the body having a portion exposed within the openingadapted to be actuated by contact with a rod moved into holding positionwithin the opening to release said looking means from locked position.

3. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side openingextending therethrough, two plungers slidably mounted in the body, oneof the plungers on each side of the opening, said plungers adapted toextend into the side opening to obstruct the same and to be retractedout of obstructing position, two bell crank levers pivoted to the bodyand each having one end operatively connected to one of the plungers andtheir other end exposed exteriorly of the body, and a spring operativelyconnected between the levers to urge the plungers toward obstructingposition whereby the plungers may be selectively retracted fromobstructing position by manual manipulation of the exposed ends of thelevers.

4. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side openingextending therethrough, two plungers slidably mounted in the body, oneof the plungers on each side of the opening, said plungers adapted toextend into the side opening to obstruct the same and to be retractedout of obstructing position, two bell crank levers pivoted to the bodyand each having one end operatively connected to one of the plungers andtheir other end exposed exteriorly of the body, a spring operativelyconnected between the levers to urge the plungers toward obstructingposition, toggle levers pivoted to the bell crank levers and havingadjacent ends connected by a floating pivot, the floating pivot of saidtoggle levers being free to move in one direction to permit movement ofthe plungers into obstructing position, stops carried by the body tolimit movement thereof in the opposite direction, the traveling pivotwhen moved to extreme limited position being just off center whereby theplungers may be selectively moved to and locked in a retracted position.

5. A rod elevator comprising a body having a slot-like side openingextending therethrough, two plungers slidably mounted in the body, oneof the plungers on each side of the opening, said plungers adapted toextend into the side opening to obstruct the same and to be retractedout of obstructing position, two bell crank levers pivoted to the bodyand each having one end operatively connected to one of the plungers andtheir other end exposed exteriorly of the body, a spring operativelyconnected between the levers to urge the plungers toward obstructingposition, toggle levers pivoted to the bell crank levers and havingadjacent ends connected by a floating pivot, the floating pivot of saidtoggle levers being free to move in one direction to permit movement ofthe plungers into obstructing position, stops carried by the body tolimit movement thereof in the opposite direction, the traveling pivotwhen moved to extreme limited position being just ofi center and atrigger mounted in the body engageable with the toggle levers when inlocked position and having a portion exposed within the body openingengageable by a rod moved into the opening to trip the toggle leverswhereby the spring and bell crank levers may urge the plungers toobstructing position.

JOHN CARLBERT COBB.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,452,679 Fisher Apr. 24, 1923 1,630,537 McGregor May 31, 19271,947,842 Fuller Feb. 20, 1938

